Surge in calls to Kelowna, B.C., COVID-19 test site causing delays

The Interior Health Authority (IHA) said a recent spike in call volume to its Kelowna, B.C., COVID-19 test site may be causing delays in booking appointments.

“We have seen a surge in calls to our Kelowna testing site so far this week and we are looking at bringing in additional supports to address this increase,” Interior Health said in a statement.

The health authority said more than half of the calls are not resulting in a test as the person does not qualify. Only symptomatic individuals are eligible for a coronavirus test.

IH said many of the calls are also unrelated to testing.

It’s unclear what is causing the surge in demand to the Kelowna test site.

The most recent data released by the BC Centre for Disease Control shows just fifteen COVID-19 cases in the Okanagan from the Sept. 11 to Sept. 24. reporting period.

Across the Interior Health region, there are 21 active cases and one person is in hospital. Five cases are linked to the outbreak at Calvary Chapel Kelowna, declared on Sept. 25.

The COVID-19 hot spots have shifted back to the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Coastal health regions, where hundreds of people are in isolation.

2:08 Concerns raised about COVID-19 testing delays in Interior Health

Health officials are urging people to take the self-assessment test on the BCCDC website or call 8-1-1 for an assessment before calling Kelowna’s Urgent and Primary Care Centre (UPCC).

“The phone lines get extremely busy when a large number of people call at the same time,” IH said.

“As a result, callers may need to wait to get through and at other times of the day, people get through more quickly.”

The health authority added that calls may get dropped occasionally due to the high call volume so people should call back if they have been on hold for more than an hour.

Anyone with symptoms associated with COVID-19 should self-isolate before and after their test and until the symptoms are gone, IH said.

1:59 Equipment problem, courier issues blamed for Interior COVID-19 testing delays

Health officials say even if you get a negative test result, you should still stay home if you have fever, chills, a persistent cough or diarrhea, or are vomiting.

The testing turn-around time in IH was 32 hours on Wednesday, which is in line with the provincial average, according to data collected by the BCCDC.

For more information on COVID-19 testing in the IHA region, click here.